torstai 21. toukokuuta 2009

Day 13 Wednesday May 20 2009

Today at Hiidankangas we continued to clear the Lower Clearing. Also started was a systematic survey of the hillside, 1/4th was completed and a large axe head was found!!!!

The plowing did some damage but it also created furrows (exposing the leeched layer) that were perpendicular to the slope (parallel to the hillside). This gave a good idea of the density of artifact distribution. One person per furrow slowly walked, and as finds were located Sam took points with his GPS unit. Surprisingly, we found that the discrete concentration of material was not necessarily correlated to depressions. There were also some fireplaces that were not close to any depressions. Sam will create a map of the activity areas and hopefully Eva will do chemical analysis to correlate these finds.

Marikka Wednesday is always a fantastic way to unwind in the middle of a well-worked week. The group bonded over the campfire in a row house. Most of the stories somehow ended with a correlation to the military. (We can thank Andre for that one!!!)

The Survey consisted of Dustin, Greg, Mike, Dr. Zubrow, and Keegan. They began shovel testing on the high point on the 60 meter contour. They found one flake in the depressions.

The Survey team found platforms as well as a possible quartz knife! There have never been any finds like these platforms before, except at The Thing. Animal spottings of the day were a turkey and a hare.

Eva did more soil coring near The Thing. She finished the flat area and started in an area near the nearby House foundation. This was in order to look for areas of high phosphorous where no visible surface depressions were evident. This is to look for prehistoric activity areas outside of all the nearby known areas.

Today at The Thing, Katie and Elizabeth mapped T109's stratigraphy. Then they continued to lower T209 until all areas were level and at the bottom sand. Towards the end of the day they mapped the top plan and began the wall stratigraphy.

Jenn and Sarah observed yesterday's finished pits and then continued on to two transects to look for the soil morphology and phosphorous near The Thing. This included lots and lots of coring!!

Dr. Zubrow suggested looking more closely at the walls to see if the stratigraphy reflected the mounded platform as much as the surface did. There is a possible plan to do systematic soil cores more closely together on the walls to achieve this. This will help see if the mounded areas are cut from the natural topography or if the elevated areas are as built up as the platform.